Food processing facilities and machinery may be washed with water to remove dirt and sanitize equipment. However, horizontal surfaces on a structure or machine may retain sufficient water to support the growth of bacteria, mold, yeast, or other potential pathogens. Pathogens in standing water have been identified as a potential source of food contamination.
Metal support beams used in the construction of food processing facilities and machinery may be formed as channels, for example I-beams, C-beams, U-beams, rectangular or square tubes, or other shapes with at least one flat surface. When a support beam with a flat surface is assembled into a structure or machine, the flat surface may be positioned horizontally, possibly providing a location for accumulation of standing water. Some beams have enclosed spaces that can trap sufficient water to support the growth of pathogens. For example, water used to wash an elevated platform may be trapped inside the central void of a hollow round or rectangular beam used for a handrail, equipment stand, or safety barrier. When beams are joined together with a flat surface on one of the beams in contact with a flat surface on the other beam, sufficient water may be retained in small gaps between connected surfaces to support the growth of pathogens. The gaps between surfaces may be very difficult to clean.
Efforts have been made to arrange support beams in a structure so that no surface on any beam exposed to washing is horizontal. For example, a square or rectangular tubular beam may be rotated about an axis parallel to the beam's longitudinal dimension, tilting surfaces on the beam away from a horizontal plane. The tilted surfaces of the beam prevent the accumulation of standing water on the beam. However, tilting the surfaces of the beam away from horizontal and vertical planes may reduce the load-carrying capacity of the beam, possibly increasing a number of beams needed to form a safe, stable structure. Increasing the number of support beams raises the cost of the structure and increases the number of surfaces that need to be washed to prevent the growth of pathogens.